User blog:KateStrange/Noemia's Lessons
When Alejandra brought her family to Willowdale, Jura almost immediately struck up a friendship with Noemia. With Alejandra's blessing, Jura became Noemia's mestre and teacher, introducing her to druidic practice and sharpening her healing and survival skills. In Hammer, Alejandra, Noemia, Ballantino, and Jura decided that Noemia would undergo training for the final circle of druidic practice. Described here is a summary of key lessons both before and after Noemia begins advanced training. Basic Lessons #'Attack, Defense, and Intent.' This lesson followed Noemia's ill-advised decision to draw a weapon on Halstein with the intent of defending Rahzer'ok. Jura realized that Noemia had not grasped the fine distinction between an offensive and defensive fight. She stressed the importance of making your intentions clear to any opponents, since ugly fights can break out between two parties who both believe they are only defending themselves from the other. #'The importance of physical experience.' This lesson immediately followed that on attacking and defending, and consisted of Rhazer'ok and Noemia enjoying cake. #'Active meditation.' A purposeful set of stances and transitions developed between Jura and Wutog in order to accommodate Noemia's need for a dynamic aid to focus her mind. Noemia has taken very well to this style, and Jura is considering teaching it more widely once the practice is more thoroughly developed. #'Skills.' Survival in northern climates, healing, plants, animals, and geography. #'Fundamentals of druidic philosphy,' as taught to first-circle initiates. #'Combat.' Though Jura is not herself trained in unarmed combat, she understands Noemia's need to practice. Jura acts as a general training partner, using where possible spells such as Stone Fist which give her a temporary understanding of unarmed techniques. #'Philosophy of Rules.' Upon discovering Leão's book of rules, Jura had a conversation with Noemia regarding the fact that sometimes a person has to follow rules that come from themselves rather than from their family. She also explained that two people can follow apparently contradicting rules based on equally good principles. This concept appeared again when Noemia agreed to undertake training for the druidic third circle, as Alejandra explained that the druidic rules Noemia would accept might conflict with Alejandra's instructions to Noemia. Noemia appeared confused by the idea that friends such as Jura and Alejandra might disagree. Advanced Lessons #'Question.' On beginning advanced training, Jura informed Noemia that some of the ensuing lessons would be unusual or frightening, and that many lessons could be taught in several different ways. Therefore, Noemia must question Jura's instructions whenever she felt uneasy about a particular exercise. This instruction was intended to ensure that Noemia begins to exercise independent judgment. #'Elemental forces: Fire.' Jura invited Noemia to put her hands into a campfire. Noemia at first laughed at the joke. When Jura cast a fire resistance spell on the two of them and demonstrated, Noemia attempted to determine what the trick to it was. She initially activated her Stone Fists and punched the flames, assuming that speed and a layer of rock over her hands would prevent burning. As Jura continued to weave her hands into the fire, picking up embers and sifting them through her fingers, she explained the role of elemental forces in druidic practice, and her idea that it would be helpful to Noemia to get personally acquainted with them. Noemia at first hesitantly and then enthusiastically joined in. She later explained that her brother Julio liked to play tricks on her and might very well have allowed her to burn her hands as a joke. Jura responded that she wouldn't let Noemia hurt herself for the sake of a prank, but pointed out that Noemia was right to hesitate, as this lesson was in fact partly intended to determine whether Noemia would follow Jura's first instruction to question exercises that appeared dangerous. #'Spirit Bag.' Jura showed Noemia the complete contents of her own Spirit Bag, including her grandmother's fingerbone, Jura's own baby tusk, and seeds and stones collected from various locations. Jura explained that the bag was used to collect items of power and significance to a particular druid and was used as a focus for meditation and some druidic magic. She told Noemia that during her training she would begin to assemble her own bag, and gave Noemia a chip of red sandstone from the Pyramid of Ananka, suggesting that the stone might be a suitable place to start. #'Shapeshifter spotting.' Noemia found a note from Jura one morning instructing her to meet Jura in the Pathfinder's Guild. Once there, she found a room full of cats and a further note indicating that one of these cats was Jura in wild shape and that Noemia was required to determine which one. Noemia spotted one dark-coloured cat with a light patch on its neck reminiscent of Jura's scar from the Battle of Willowdale. Noemia upended a bucket full of water over this cat, which promptly turned back into Jura. The two then cleaned up the water and gave the actual cats cream in compensation for their participation in the exercise. This exercise has been repeated several times, with different physical or behavioral cues. #'Weapons and armour drills.' #'Elemental forces: Earth.' Noemia joined the rest of the Golden Fields Druids in planting the Druid Garden. On her suggestion, spearmint has been included in the garden. #'Camping.' As an extension of earlier survival lessons, Jura has begun taking Noemia on camping outings within Willowdale. These are intended to familiarize Noemia with sleeping outside, and include some amount of foraging. Only one such event has occured so far. Leão was invited to attend. He accepted the invitation on the condition that he be allowed to bring his gun, and though he appeared suspicious of the proceedings he also seemed to approve of the variety of skills that Noemia was learning. Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts Category:Reflection